Aging is not inevitable, US genetics expert tells Majlis Mohamed Bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi: A leading epigeneticist has hailed the UAE’s pioneering genetics data collection and analysis and shared his lessons on how to slow aging.

Speaking yesterday at the Majlis Mohamed Bin Zayed Ramadan Conference in Abu Dhabi, Dr David Sinclair, professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School and co-director of the Paul F. One of the key tools of aging.

“Aging is not inevitable. It is a treatable disease. There is no biological law that says we must age at our rate. Thanks to a better understanding of why we age and how to reverse it, more and more Scientists are starting to believe that,” Dr Sinclair said.

“I have no doubt that, based on what I’ve seen in my life, and in emerging companies around the world, very soon, certainly within the next decade, we’ll start to see a change in what we can achieve in our lifetimes. So 70-year-olds no longer need to worry about heart disease and cancer. 80-year-olds look forward to starting a new life, raising great-grandchildren, and contributing to society. The same is true for post-90s. You can look forward to the next few decades. That future is certain , this change in medicine is coming,” the scientist said.

The genetics expert and best-selling author of “Longevity: Why We Age and Why We Don’t Need to,” who has spent 30 years researching aging, urges residents to stay healthy and active until age-reversal technology truly “comes” and advances scientifically.

He also praised the UAE Genome Initiative, which he said will play an important role in ensuring a healthy future for the people.

Dr Sinclair said: “I would like to commend the UAE for being a center of learning and technological advancement and setting an example for other countries around the globe.”

“[We can soon expect massive changes in medicine] The UAE is very advanced in this regard through the development of genomic technologies – probably the world leader in genetics – but also advances in artificial intelligence, and the ability to read the structure of cells in atomic detail,” he added.

Majlis Mohamed bin Zayed is an ongoing series that addresses topics relevant to UAE residents through dialogue with leaders and experts. Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, and Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence attended The third lecture in the Ramadan 2023 series.

Dr. Sinclair’s theory has attracted a lot of attention, called information theory of aging, which proposes that aging is due to loss of information, rather than cellular damage. Dr. Sinclair calls it epigenetic noise, an effect he says causes DNA to bind together over time. As a result, cells read the wrong genes at the wrong time and lose their identity, becoming the senescent “zombie” cells that cause aging.

According to Dr. Sinclair, the broken DNA leads to changes commonly thought of as aging. Another researcher in his lab recently discovered that by switching on three embryonic genes — called O, S and K — the age of tissue can be reversed by 75 percent within six weeks, the researchers claim. The discovery could help restore vision in aged mice, and the current research has focused on nonhuman primates.

“For example, before we knew why cancer happened, we thought it was just a part of life. Now, we rightly call cancer a disease and do everything we can to fight it. We don’t usually talk or talk about it in this way. Think about aging. But we should. Because what is a disease, not a condition that prevents the body or mind from working properly? We call heart failure, dementia, stroke, and diabetes diseases and forget that 80% of them are caused by aging Yes. Reverse aging and these diseases go away,” Dr. Sinclair said.

Dr Sinclair advised parliament attendees to stay healthy.

“The goal for the rest of us should be to stay active until age-reversal technology arrives. The best way to do this is to put the body in a state of perceived adversity by eating less, eating the right foods, exercising, and taking medicines that are proven to slow aging Supplements and drugs that affect,” he suggested.

• Fasting: This is one of the best ways to delay aging. It activates the body’s anti-aging defense system.

• Plant foods: When plants are stressed, they produce chemicals that kick-start the body’s aging defenses, including molecules like NAD and sirtuins. You can find these molecules in olive oil and brightly colored vegetables, so eat them.

• Adversity Mode: Put your body in adversity mode. Today’s lifestyle is so simplistic, it tells our bodies not to fight to get because everything is great.

• Diet: Do not eat three large meals a day. Also limit your eating times.

• Exercise: Exercise and stretch regularly. It enables the body to fight aging and switches on protective longevity genes. Aim for at least 3 sessions of 15-minute bouts of vigorous-intensity exercise per week, which is enough to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease by 35%.

• Measure regularly: Measure your biological age, then make changes to optimize your health. This process can be improved through regular testing.

• Supplements: Supplement your diet to increase beneficial enzymes and molecules and limit harmful ones. They help activate the body’s ability to fight aging.

• Sugar: Avoid sugar and refined grains. Sugar is a real problem, it binds to proteins and causes many diseases.

• Mediterranean Diet: Choose a Mediterranean diet that consists primarily of plants and plant products. Or, go vegan or vegan.

• Animal protein: Too much protein can make the body grow faster, but it does not prevent aging.

• Snacking: Avoid snacking. Give your body a break from food. If you’re feeling naughty, have a cup of tea or coffee.

• Activities: Keep going. In terms of longevity, being sedentary is almost as bad as smoking.

• Muscle Mass: Maintains muscle mass, especially when we lose a lot of muscle after a certain age.

These don’t replace exercise and fasting, but they can enhance the antiaging effects of a healthy lifestyle.

• NAD boosters such as NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide), NR and NaR (1,000 mg per day)

• Berberine and Metformin (1,000 mg per day)

• Resveratrol and fisetin (500-1,000 mg per day)

• Spermidine (3 mg per day)

• Vitamin D3 + K2 (10,000 units per week)

• Alpha Lipoic Acid (500 mg per day)

• Omega 3-6-9 fatty acids (500 mg per day)